On Tuesday, September 8, Edward Flores brought the first pecans of the 2026 season into the office of the San Saba News & Star. They were soft-shell natives from the Hibler Orchard, and he told the paper, "It's looking to be a good season!"
By count, he's likely right. By weight of what's inside, nobody knows yet. That gap matters most to anyone in San Saba County with a tree in the yard and a few buckets filling up on the porch. In this year's crop, the shell tells you less than usual. In the Pecan Capital of the World, the businesses on Wallace Street and Commerce Street are where you find out what you actually have.
More pecans statewide, with a catch inside the shell
The bigger-crop part is well documented. In its September 1, 2026 crop outlook, Texas A&M AgriLife Today reported that Texas growers didn't issue an official forecast at their July conference. The Tri-State Pecan Growers Association put Texas production near 42 million pounds. Monte Nesbitt, the AgriLife Extension pecan specialist, estimated about 39 million pounds. Either way it's up from 32 million pounds in 2025.
The same report explains why more pecans doesn't automatically mean better pecans. The unusually wet spring in Central Texas meant many orchards needed little irrigation into July. It also set up pecan scab, a fungal disease that can blacken shucks and make them drop, and growers reported more downy spot and powdery mildew too. Then a hot, extremely dry stretch arrived right as trees entered kernel fill. That's the August-to-September window when the edible part of the nut develops and the tree needs the most water.
AgriLife Today quoted Nesbitt plainly on what that means:
"The dry weather we're having now is impacting the development of kernel. Shriveled, malformed kernels can hide inside normal-looking shells."
He also said growers with reliable irrigation have a good chance of finishing the crop, while those without water face uncertainty. A backyard tree watered only by rain is in the second group.
Pecans are priced on the kernel
This is why the inside of the shell sets the value of a bag. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's National Pecan Summary for October 22, 2026 quotes grower prices in dollars per in-shell "point" for good-quality lots, and its large-lot quotes list the meat yield beside the price.
That week's quotes came from Georgia, not Texas, so they show how the pricing works rather than what a San Saba buyer will pay. For October 20 through 22, large Georgia lots of Caddo pecans of 20,000 pounds or more, with a 53 to 55 percent meat yield, brought $4.00 to $4.10 per point. Smaller lots under 5,000 pounds were quoted by the pound, with Caddo at $2.16 and Pawnee mostly $2.05 to $2.17.
When meat yield is part of the price, a shriveled kernel lowers the value even when the shell looks fine. In September, Nesbitt said wholesale prices for the 2025 crop had sometimes beaten 2023 and 2024, with some spring lots going over $2 a pound and getting close to $3 in the first quarter of 2026. He also said the 2026 opening price would depend on early harvests in Georgia, Louisiana and East Texas and on kernel quality in those lots.
Two counters on West Wallace
That gives a backyard harvest two practical routes in town, and Oliver Pecan Company handles both. The company says its headquarters at 1402 W. Wallace St. buys pecans from growers throughout Central Texas during harvest season, "whether you have pecans from a single backyard tree or manage a commercial orchard."
The other route keeps the pecans in the family. Oliver Pecan Company says its shelling facility runs at full speed during harvest season, typically October through February. It offers custom shelling, so you bring in your own pecans and leave with clean halves and pieces.
This year, shelling has an extra use. You see exactly what your tree produced after a dry kernel fill, and the halves that come back are ready for pie, pralines or a holiday tin.
Oliver doesn't publish its buying prices or shelling fees. It describes its pricing as "fair, competitive." Since quality sets the price this season, call before you load the truck. A few things to ask:
- Whether they're buying this week, and what quantity they need to see
- How they judge a lot, and whether kernel quality changes the offer
- The current custom shelling rate and how long a batch takes to turn around
- Whether they want the pecans cleaned of shucks and debris before drop-off
Where the pecans end up in a gift box
Not every household in the county has a tree, and plenty that do still send store-bought pecans to relatives. This season the gift-shopping map changed. In a September 14, 2026 Chamber of Commerce spotlight, the San Saba Chamber reported that Alamo Pecan & Coffee has acquired Great San Saba River Pecan, bringing that company's award-winning Pecan Preserves, Pie in a Jar and other specialty products into the Alamo family. The spotlight says Alamo is close to 30 years in business, with a new tagline, "More Pecans Please!"
The spotlight also tells the coffee story behind Alamo. Co-founder Dora Miller brought more than 25 years in the pecan industry, and the Whitten family brought business and financial experience. In 2003 the company started brewing its own pecan-roasted beans, including Texas Pecan and Mocha Pecan.
Here's how San Saba's pecan storefronts line up for holiday shopping, using each business's own published details:
| Stop | Where | What stands out for gifting |
|---|---|---|
| Alamo Pecan & Coffee | 601 E. Wallace St. | Pecan-roasted coffee, gift baskets, custom orders, and the former Great San Saba River Pecan preserves and Pie in a Jar |
| Oliver Pecan Company HQ | 1402 W. Wallace St. | Largest Oliver selection, including flavored pecans, pecan oil, pies, brittles, pralines and gift baskets |
| Millican Pecan | 199 County Road 100 | Fresh, flavored and chocolate pecans, pies and gift selections. Open Mon.–Thu. 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Fri. 9 a.m.–4 p.m. |
| Bagley Pecans Gifts & More | 412 E. Commerce St. | Pecan products and holiday gifts, plus cracked pecans sold by the package |
If you're deciding whether shelling your own crop is worth the trip, Bagley's retail prices are a useful comparison. As of late October 2026, Bagley's cracked-pecan page lists a 3-pound package at $21.75, 5 pounds at $36.25, 10 pounds at $72.50, 15 pounds at $107.25 and 25 pounds at $175. That works out to roughly $7 a pound for cracked pecans someone else harvested. Weigh that against a custom shelling fee on nuts from your own tree, which you can get once you've called Oliver for a quote.
Alamo's site promotes a Holiday Gift Guide and custom orders but doesn't list a 2026 holiday order deadline. If a box has to reach family out of state by Thanksgiving on November 26, ask each shop about its cutoff early in November.
Lunch between errands
Drop-off and gift shopping take you right past Oliver & Company Coffee Shop & Bistro at 320 E. Wallace St., a few blocks from the Oliver headquarters. The menu lists specialty coffee, fresh sandwiches, homemade soups, salads, hand-dipped ice cream and desserts, including several of the company's pecan treats. Check current hours with the shop before you go.
Oliver says its custom shelling season typically runs October through February, which leaves time after the holidays to bring in a late batch.
At Reata Ranch Realty, we know what pecan trees mean to the people who tend them. If you're wondering what your orchard or the old natives along the creek add to your San Saba County property, we're glad to walk it with you. Contact Us.
